Sacramento veterans fight national DAV over estate donation, headquarters, and chapter's future ...Middle East

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What started as a donation of nearly $40,000 has turned into a legal fight over who controls a longtime Sacramento veterans chapter, its finances and its future.

Former leaders of the now-revoked Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 6 say they're fighting to recover the donation, prevent the sale of their longtime headquarters and continue serving local veterans.

    "All I wanna do is get our money back and we can move on," Army veteran Eldra Jackson Jr. said.

    The dispute began after Chapter 6 received nearly $40,000 from a donor's estate. Local leaders say they intended to use the money to repair their aging headquarters, address deferred maintenance and reinvest in programs serving Sacramento-area veterans.

    Instead, the donation became the center of a dispute with the national DAV organization.

    According to the local chapter, national leaders said organizational policy required the estate donation to be turned over to the national office. Chapter leaders disagreed, arguing the donor intended the money to remain in Sacramento.

    "There are bills that come in, light bills, gas, electric, the post office, water. Things just don't go on," Jackson said, describing the chapter's financial needs.

    The chapter filed a lawsuit. Members say their bank account was later emptied, their charter was revoked and their memberships were transferred. A judge denied the chapter's request for a preliminary injunction, but the lawsuit remains pending.

    Despite the legal battle, chapter leaders say they've continued serving veterans through transportation assistance, food distribution and community outreach.

    "Just because they shut it down, we're not going to stop providing services to the veteran," Air Force veteran Gilbert Tafoya said.

    DAV National disputes the chapter's claims.

    Court documents show the national organization formally codified a policy in May 2025 requiring estate donations intended for local chapters to be routed through the national office. The donation at the center of the lawsuit, however, was made before that policy was adopted.

    In a statement to CBS13, DAV National said, "Our chapters understand longstanding requirements for donations made to support local initiatives to ensure the wishes of decedents are honored. It's unfortunate our former leadership in Sacramento has acted in disregard to DAV's bylaws and chosen to use time and resources that could serve veterans to litigate against our organization."

    Local chapter leaders say the courts will ultimately determine who is right.

    In the meantime, they're packing up more than a century of memorabilia while working to prevent the sale of their Fruitridge Road headquarters.

    "We did not violate any rules," Tafoya said. "The court case that we have now is going to show that they are the ones that are not in compliance with their own bylaws."

    The case remains pending. A judge is expected to hear the matter again in August.

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